Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-22
TEXAS PANHANDLE.
A GLIMPSE OF SOME OF ITS SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.


INSTITUTIONS.
4 Population Over which the state and
Nation Have Practically No Civil or
Criminal IJurisdicti"n-EVeryb body His
own Lawyer.
II the truth were known, the Pan
lnndle Of Texas would be voted the politi-
cal. social and material curiosity of this
country There is nothing like it in this
country or any other country. Ii is
strictly original. stands out by itself and
freezes ON to it, peculiarities with a stead
fastnesS e acteriStic of America in gen
eral and Texas IN particular.
The Panhandle covers territory about
AS large ns the state nf New York. Ii eX-
tends from the Indian territory on the
north almost Ia the Texas * Pacific rail
road, on the south and from New Mexico
uu the west almost to the Fort Worth *
| Denver railroad on the east. Ii Is larger
! than many European countries that sing
| loud in an international ChOI us Within
! its confines are mountains and forests,
| lakes and streams, valleys and rivers. iron
mines. copper mines. silver mines, coal
mines that are known Of, and perhaps
much more mineral wealth that is not
/ known Of hamlet~. ranches, caves, mesas,
mineral springs, steep preClplCeS, shady
groves and many vcrdant plains.
The Panhandle is divided into fifty
three counties. but not more than six or
seven of them are organized. The people
nf the Panhandle have II very supreme
contempt for law and have not much
more use for "a sheriff or an attorney than
! they have for Il grass b irner Or cattle
thief. When me word law" i used. il
should he remembered that it applies 10
| the enactmCntS OF what the Panhandle
folks contcmptunusly term The "AuStin
law factory" There il an unwrittcn cole
in the Panhandle. al I woe tu the man
who violates it, \ Ian must not steal
cattle in the Panhandle: neither must he
cut fences, burn grass. ill up wells with
earth. break dams or kill man i'll cold
blood There are less than 100 women in
the Panhandle. and they are all good
women There are no iailS in the region,
fines are looked upon with contempt. and
the only punishment awarded 10 those
who violate the code of the region l. death
or expulsion. If a man kills another in a
fight he has tOauswer before no law court
his right TO kill man in a fair fight Is
not questioned.
JUDGE IYNCHS JUSTICE.
II man kills another by stralth-that
i, If he steals mp behind him and plungeS
"A knife in his back or shoots him unawares
I-Iudge Lynch Immediately takes hold oi
the offender. administers rigid justice
devoid Of technicaliticS or quibblcS OF
stays Of proceeding. aud if the murder was
cold-hloOdcd and COwarCily the murderer Is
more certain of being hanged than he
would be in ~. LouiS. Chicago, New York,
San Francisco. New Orleans or Galveston.
II man il convicted nf cattle stealing
before Judge Lynch he is certain OF being
hanged II . man is caught cutting Il
fence or setting fire TO grass he l. shot
down without hesitation. or if subsequently
arraigned before Judge Lynch and II Is
shown on testimony. direct or CirCumstan
tial. that lie was guilty Of the otfcnSc, he
will lie hanged This i about all the care
they have in the Panhandle. \ man must
take care of himself. lie must fight his
own battles II he is not able TO tight, II
he is afraid to fight if he has any prejudice
against fighting. he had better seek some
other location than the Panhandle Of
Texas for al abiding place. In fact. thu
Panhandle might be described as one vast
region devoid of law. dcfying law, getting
along comfortably without law
OF course the great majority Of the Pan
handle people are not addicted 10 reminis
ccnce The man who receives mail matter
from former home in another state IL 1
rarity. Pc of course. there are eXcep
tions No doubt many Panhandle mel
could prove that they are wearing tn,
same name now that they Inherited from
their parents But it is not considered
good taste in the Panhandle to be too in
quisitive and the man who persists il
delving into the affairs of another man Il
almost certain to have a fight ON hi
hands without unnecessary delay.
The people are social hospitable anC
generous. The ethical code of the regiOI
forbidS any inquiry concerning II stranger
If the new arrival wants a job at wir,
punching or line riding it i taken fo
granted that il is his intention to beCom
a permanent resident # he loafS arounC
without attempting to secure Job at an 4;
thing he becomes an object of suspicion
Detectives sometimes have the hardihOoI
to penetrate the Panhandle, hut if the!
should be suspected they are invariabl.
treated TO hospitable graves Detective
and law officers are not wanted and vii
not be tolerated in the Panhandle. Th'
b permanent SOjOurnerS i'll the region max
no pretense Of denying that they are ther
because of disagreement with the rule
of action prescribed by law III the region
whence they came. Ii Is a republic OF tol
Grafton, and mind your own business i
the constitution. Globe Democrat
Wh.rs Do thu Pins Cos